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Rachel Fuchs: SWAP a potential answer to CU diversity issues

Posted:
02/02/2016 07:10:10 PM MST

In response to CU's recent "sobering" realization that the campus's diverse communities feel undervalued and unsupported, I'd like to offer one solution already in progress though CU Engage: the Student Worker Alliance Program, or SWAP.

Under the direction of student leaders using the model of the local nonprofit Intercambio Uniting Communities, SWAP has been bringing diverse communities together on campus for nearly a decade. In an effort to build cross-cultural respect, mutual understanding and education, more than 400 CU students have been paired with close to 500 adult immigrants — who are campus employees — for English classes.

Providing opportunities for our campus community to learn in tandem goes a long way in creating an environment in which all members feel valued and supported by the university. And, based on stories I've heard, it works. Relationships are established that facilitate a mutual respect which reverberates campus-wide. By creating systems where programs like SWAP can thrive, CU can aspire to model a world where skin color, country of origin, or side of town don't determine the treatment people receive or the inherent value they feel.

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